toughs
SayTUFSUS · UK/tʌfs/AUS/tɐfs/
- 1Plural of tough.
A pair of hired toughs blocked the entrance to the warehouse.
Local toughs demanded protection money from the shopkeepers.
Note
A regular -s plural that belongs only to the noun: a tough is a thug or bully, someone who gets things by force. The noun was made from the adjective, but the adjective's senses (sturdy, hard to chew, stubborn, harsh) never take the -s, so toughs always means people. The word carries an informal, faintly dated tone, suited to street crime and intimidation.
toughs is a form of tough
tough, noun: A rough or violent person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully. Full entry
- Forms
- toughtoughs plural
- Spelling
- tough → toughs: add -s
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /s/.
Use it in a sentence
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